Car-lock



(No Model.)

T. B. KIRBY.

GAR LOCK.

N 6 8 Patented June 21,1898.

Nrrnn STATES ArnNr rrrcn,

THOMAS E. KIRBY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 605,880, dated June 21,1898.

Application filed November 15, 1897. Serial No. 658,572.. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. KIRBY, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Car-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car-locks, and more particularly to that classof locks used on refrigerator-cars known as the Zimmerman type, and hasfor its object to provide means for holding and guiding the lockingpinand securing it from becoming detached or separated from the other partsof the lock and thereby becoming lost.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features which Iwill now proceed to describe and will then particularly point out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a structureembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same, taken onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of thelocking-pin and its guide and keeper. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of thesame, and Fig; 5 a plan section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

In the said drawings, represents the wall of the car, and 11 thecar-doors, which are hinged at 12 to the car-body. These doors arelocked in the usual manner by lockingbars 13, passing through guides 14on one of the doors and adapted to engage with keepers 15 on thecar-body, being operated by means of a link 16, centrally pivoted on thecar-door and having the locking-bars 13 pivoted to its free ends.

17 represents the operating-lever, which also serves as a locking-hasp,being slotted, as shown at 18, to receive a loop or staple 19, whichis-adapted to pass through the slot 18 and receive the locking-pin onthe outer side thereof.

The construction thus far described is that usual in looks of the classto which my invention relates, with the exception that in the ordinaryconstruction the loop or staple 19 and the slot 18 are verticallyarranged, whereas in the construction which I have devised these partsare transversely arranged, the slot andloop or staple being vertical.Heretofore in looks of this description the locking-pin, which isinserted through the staple 19 after the loop or hasp 17 has beenengaged with the same, has been connected to the. car-door by means of achain, and in practice it has been found that owing to the liability ofthe chain to become broken or detached the locking-pin is frequentlylost and it is thereby rendered impossible to lock the car. Moreover, inthis prior construction it is necessary to lift the locking-pin intoposition opposite the opening of the loop or staple before the pin canbe inserted in order to lock the car. I obviate these disadvantages byproviding upon the operating lever or hasp 17, above the slot 18 and inline with the openingof the loop or staple when the same is insertedthrough the slot 18, a guide or keeper 20, which is preferably cast inone piece with the lever or hasp 17 and which in its preferred formconsists of two flanges 20, extending longitudinally of the lever orhasp and inclined'outwardly toward each other. In this form of structurethe locking-pin 21 has inclined sides to engage thecorrespondingly-inclined flanges of the guide or keeper, so as toprevent said locking-pin from being separated from the lever or hasp 17.It is obvious, however, that the flanges 20 and the body of thelocking-pin may be given other shapes than that shown for the purpose ofcausing a proper engagement between the pin and the flange of thekeeper. The locking-pin is provided with a head 22, by means of which itmay be operated, and this head may also serve the purpose of limitingthe downward motion of the pin and preventing it from dropping downthrough the keeper and thus becoming separated therefrom. In practice,however, I prefer to effect this limitation of the motion of the pinrelatively to the keeper by providing a vertical slot 23 in the keeperand a cooperating projection 24 on the locking-pin. In the constructionshown the keeper is provided with a slot 23 in each of its flanges, thepin having two projections 24, which are conveniently formed by means ofa pin passing transversely through the body of the locking-pin andhaving its ends projecting into the slots 23. A lateral notch or recess25, con1municating with the slot 23, serves to receive the projection 24when the locking-pin is raised in the manner shown in dotted lines inFig. 4, and thus hold the locking-pin in that elevated position with itslower end above and clear of the slot 18, so that the loop or staple 19may pass through said slot without coming in contact with the lower endof the pin in the operation of locking the car. The locking-pin isprovided in the usual manner with an opening or openings 20 in'itslowerend to receive suitable sealin' g devices or other looking meanssuch as are usually employed in this connection.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from thepreceding description. The locking-pin, being carried by and secured onthe operating lever or hasp, cannot become detached and lost ormisplaced and may be held up in position by the means provided for thatpurpose, so as to leave the slot 18 clear for the passage of the looporstaple 19, and when the operating lever or hasp 17' is swung down andback into position, so that the loop or staple 17 projects through theslot 18 therein in the manner shown in the .drawin gs, the locking-pinis always in proper movement it is properly guided by the keeper.

20. This engagement may take place by gravity alone, it being onlynecessary, when the construction shown in the drawings is employed, todisengage the projections 24 from the notches or recesses 25, when thelockingpin will fall into position, and the car may be at once sealed orotherwise secured.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise detailsof construction hereinbefore set forth. For example, it will be seenthat the engagement of the projections 24: of the locking-pin with theslots 23 of the keeper is in itself sufficient to guide the pin andlimit its movements Without the necessity of so shaping the keeper andthe pin as to cause an engagement of the body portions of these twoparts. I prefer, however, to so shape the pin and keeper for the reasonthat the strain is thus taken from the pins or projections of thelocking-pin, these parts being of comparatively small dimensions andtherefore less adapted to resist the strains of use. Moreover, while Ihave used the term slots as applied to the structural featurescooperating with the projections 24: it is obvious that grooves willserve the same purpose as slots, and it will also be seen that thegrooves or slots may be in the pin and the projections on the keeper. Itherefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precisedetails hereinbefore described, and shown in the drawings.

I claim 1. In a car-lock of the character described, the combination,with the locking-bar having a loop or staple and the hinged slottedoperating-lever,.of a guide or keeper mounted on said lever adjacent tothe slot therein, and a locking-pin mounted to slide in said guide orkeeper, substantially as described.

2. In a car-lock of the character described, the combination, with thelocking-bar having a loop or staple and the hinged slottedoperatinglever, of a guide or keeper mounted on said lever adjacent tothe slot therein, a locking-pin mounted to slide in said guide orkeeper, and means for holding the said locking-pin in an elevatedposition clear of the slot, substantially as described.

3. In a car-lock of the character described, the combination, with thelocking-pin having a loop or staple with a vertical opening and thehinged slotted operatingdever, of a guide or keeper on said leverextending vertically upward from the slot therein, when the lever is inits locked position, and provided with a notch, and a locking-pinmounted to slide vertically in said guide or keeper and having aprojection to engage the notch thereof whereby said pin may be held inan elevated position, substantially as described.

4. In a car-lock of the character described, the combination, with thelocking-bar having a loop or staple, of the hinged slottedoperating-lever having a keeper or guide thereon composed of integralinclined flanges provided with notched slots, and a locking-pin adaptedto engage said flanges, and provided with projections to engage theslots and notches, substantially as described.

THOMAS E. KIRBY. \Vitnesses:

Louis C. Wm'rz,

R. S. VAN CLEAVE.

